Present partition wall systems suffer from one or more disadvantages. Some systems, especially those fabricated from metal or plywood, have such weight that two or more persons are typically required to assemble, disassemble or transport elements of the system. Some wall systems offer only a limited selection of wall panel dimensions, which dimensions frequently do not match the given room or display area and result in an inefficient or undesired partition wall layout. Other wall systems require the use of tools for assembly, disassembly, or to obtain a tight fit, and therefore require that the person(s) assembling, disassembling, or maintaining the partition walls carry a variety of tools. Other wall systems have panels mounted on separate and the support posts, and therefore require a certain number of each element for assembly. Some wall systems, especially those having separate support posts, require finishing trim in order to eliminate rough and/or unsightly edges and/or unused holes. Still other wall systems, particularly some of those with a fabric surface, have feet which extend outward from the wall panels and, when bordering an aisle or other walkway, can cause persons to trip and be harmed. Fabric wall systems are typically covered with a fabric which has a tendency to absorb liquids and is permanently stained and discolored by accidental spilling of coffee, milk, soft drinks, other liquids and/or foods against the wall panels.
Most wall systems can only be assembled with a particular edge pointing upward and, if damaged, cannot be turned upside-down to conceal the damage. Some wall systems, especially those with separate support posts, can only change direction or terminate at a support post and thus require an inventory of essential, but generally specialized, small or intermediate-sized wall panels so that the direction can be changed or so that the partition wall terminates at or near a desired point. Some wall systems, especially those in which each panel is not physically connected to an adjacent panel, require the user to overlap panel walls, which wastes floor space, or to be content with a noticeable gap or space between adjacent panels. Other wall systems, particularly those covered with fabric and required to be joined to edge-to-edge, suffer from separation of the covering fabric from the underlying core after a limited number of assembly-disassembly cycles. Most partition wall systems, especially those with metal wall panels, are available only in a very limited number of sizes and colors and therefore cannot be customized to match with a user's desired decor.